French leader banks on free market to save economy

[unhappycamper]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/08/28/3350184/french-leader-banks-on-free-market.html?sp=/99/261/



French President Francois Hollande, left, and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls shake hands as they leave after the weekly cabinet meeting in Paris, France, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. France's prime minister reshuffled his Cabinet on Tuesday to silence ministers who had openly criticized Socialist President Francois Hollande's economic policies as he tries to pull the nation out of stagnation and steer it toward growth.

French leader banks on free market to save economy
By JAMEY KEATEN and SYLVIE CORBET
The Associated Press
August 28, 2014 Updated 5 minutes ago

PARIS — Facing pitiful poll numbers, Francois Hollande has cast his lot: The French president who once decried global finance and vowed a 75-percent tax on millionaires has quashed dissent from his Socialist government's left flank and appointed a well-heeled former investment banker as his new point man on the economy.

Several left-leaning critics were sent packing in a Cabinet shakeup that sent a message to international investors, European allies and millions of French: France is willing to embrace more free market policies and often unpopular reforms to tackle double-digit unemployment and zero economic growth.

The spirit of Hollande's new focus was summed up in a speech by his prime minister, Manuel Valls, who put together a new Cabinet this week that includes former banker Emmanuel Macron as economy minister.

"I like companies," he said to a standing ovation from a gathering of the country's main employers lobby, which is reviled by many on the left, including in the Socialist party.

[littlemissmartypants]

1. Palm greasing caught on camera. nt

[drray23]

2. hollande has been an absolute disaster

I hold dual citizenship. French and American, I grew up in France and live in the US . In France the equivalent of Barrack Obama is the center right. Francois hollande is a socialist from the same party francois mitterand was.

Unfortunately he is totally incompetent and managed to draw the hire of most progressives and tarnish the left brand.

He is in over his head and I fear that France will tack hard right after his term is up.